TSP Ends January Mostly in the Black

All but one fund grew at the beginning of 2018.

Most of the portfolios in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings plan started 2018 on the right foot, gaining ground in January.

The common stocks of the Thrift Savings Plan’s C Fund saw the best performance, increasing 5.72 percent in the first month of the year. The international portfolio grew 5.00 percent in January.

The S Fund, which is made up of small- and mid-size businesses, increased 3.34 percent last month. And the G Fund, made up of government securities, increased by its statutorily mandated 0.20 percent.

But the fixed income (F) fund fell 1.14 percent last month. It was the only TSP portfolio to lose value to start 2018.

TSP’s lifecycle (L) funds, which shift investments toward more stable portfolios as participants get closer to retirement, all grew to varying degrees in January. The L Income Fund, designed for people who have already begun monthly withdrawals, increased 1.10 percent; L 2020, 1.84 percent; L 2030, 3.12 percent; L 2040, 3.66 percent; and L 2050, 4.15 percent.